At 10:10 AM 7/3/2008 -0400, Nolan wrote:
>Ah but there is the rub. It does cost a whole lot more to make something
>here in the US. Just look at the US auto industry as a prime example.
>Medical insurance, retirement, workers compensation, liability insurance,
>property taxes, inventory taxes, permit fees, social security, vacation
>time, sick leave, osha requirements, environmental control devices, etc.
>The list goes on and on. It costs a fortune to run a company in the US,
>especially if you are manufacturing something.
Agreeded. But, people need jobs to have the money to buy anything.
If we keep going off shore, there won't be any jobs, consiquently no money
to buy anything. And right now, in the long run, we (the US) won't make
any difference with over 3 billion people in China and India, coming on line.
We have to take care of our selves. Right now, I look at home prices in
my area. There is NO way a young couple can afford to buy a home.
A pos house, 1200 sqft, 3 bed rooms 1 1/2 baths and carport is going for
$250,000! My place isn't a mansion by any means. I bought it for $100K
back in 84. 1400 sqft, 2 baths, 3 bed rooms, room over the garage,
1/4 acre, 2 car attached garage is now over $350,000! We can't afford
to pay the salaries to employees to allow them to own their own home.
Do we need to clean up our environment, definately! But some of the
gov. regulation is killing us.
>I've spent some time with the importers down on the shipping piers because
>of my job. several of Pacific rim companies are making money hand over fist
>with their cheap cars because it costs them less than $2,000 per car to make
>it and drop it off here in the US. Ford can't even come close when making a
>car here in the US with US labor.
Agreeded. Here we can blame the unions. Do we need them? I think yes!
But they have become their own big business. On the average, when a group
goes out on strike, they never recoop what they lost. Our citizens need to
get a fundimental grasp on money. Witness the sub prime delema we're in.
Greedy people wanting more then they can afford!
A neighbor of mine worked at the local Ford F150 plant before Ford closed it
last year. These employees are making obscene amounts of money for what
they do, their skill level, thanks to the Unions. As you point out, that
is killing
our manufacturing base in this country.
>I dearly love how well Snap-On screwdrivers work. But I can't convince
myself
>to spend that kind of money on a screwdriver. Not when a Craftsman
>screwdriver works quite well.
Absolutely. Especially for those of us that aren't making a living with that
tool.
And I personally much prefer an analog meter to a digital meter when it
comes to trying to work on a lot of electronics/automotive things. I can't
stand the lack of a stable reading. But analog meters are getting harder to
find, and more expensive.
I do have several of the HF digital meters. When they go on sale for $3.
I buy several. There is one in every car, one in every tool box, etc. They
are better than nothing!
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va
Phone: (757) 495-8229
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